The Rotary Club of Warragul   

The Rotary Club of Warragul

A committee of  P.P.Bob Lewis, P.P.Roy Berryman, P.P.Don Cumming and P.P.Colin Brown were given the task of reviewing the past ten years of the Rotary Club of Warragul and to present to the board suggestions suitable for the Club to acknowledge Sixty years of Rotary in Warragul.

After referring to our book, “Fifty Years of Rotary in Warragul”, it seems worth while to repeat the beginning of the Rotary Club of Warragul for the benefit of those that have not had access to a copy.

The Rotary Club of Dandenong with the assistance of the Rotary Club of Melbourne surveyed Warragul in late 1937. Rotarian Alf Oldham was the District Governor’s Special Representative. The first gathering took place at the home of Hedley Heighway, who was to become the Warragul Club’s first President.

At that meeting Directors were appointed to hold office until September 30^th 1939. They were Hedley Heighway, Alick Swan, Ben Boon, Ted Lewis, Howard Elliott and Laurie Friend.

The first Directors Meeting of the Rotary Club of Warragul was held at the home of  the President, Hedley Heighway, 22^nd May 1938. 7:30pm. Directors present Hedley Heighway, President, Alick Swan, Vice President, Howard Elliott, Secretary, Ben Boon and Ted Lewis, an apology from Laurie Friend.

Considerable correspondence passed between committees of the Dandenong and Melbourne Clubs and the provisional office bearers of the Warragul Club. It is recorded that the District Governor, J Burgess Watt, in a letter to Hedley Heighway, on the second day of August 1938, said that a cable had just been received from Rotary International in the U.S.A. saying “Warragul admitted 13^th July, 1938, No.4791”. The District Governor then goes on to say “Naturally you and your fellow members will be pleased to know that, while you have accepted Rotary, so Rotary has accepted you. Mutual responsibility follows mutual acceptance”.

From the many letters written and received during the ensuing weeks, one can gather that there was great enthusiasm being generated as the Charter Night approached. This night was referred to in the correspondence as our “Big Night” which was set down for September 24^th, 1938.

On reviewing the Annual Reports of the past ten years, it was thought there was a need to have an updated History of the Club to be added to the Fifty Year Book to present to each Member and particularly to new Members so an understanding of the pride that is held in the Rotary Club of Warragul by the longer serving Members, about one third of the Membership is less than five years. To date 323 Rotarians have served the Club.